September 10

Version 0.9.0 brings a bunch of polish to the table. Most of the focus is on a revamp of the new player experience, as well as improvements to the Game Over presentation. There's also a small bit of new content.

Tons more content coming for the launch!

v 0.9.0 Notes:

Beginner Experience Overhaul

Introducing your new frenemy: Guide Bot!

Ripped out the old tutorial

Fused together a second beginner ship: the Gerridae

Crafted a better (and more visible) explanation of the minigame

New Content

Fuel Line Pressure event

"Viking Funeral" Achievement

Game Over events

Polish

Slight gradient overlay

Ship naming input now has a red backdrop to match other UI elements

Talking happens in words and chunks, rather than each letter

Prettified the Game Over screen

Balance Changes

Radar now spends twice as much energy over time (doubled chance of burning energy)

Take Fate into Your (Digital) Hands

Directly control the ship's systems, set alarms to get the crew's attention, and respond to emergencies. Will luck be enough?

You will die, alone and drifting, in the dark.

Brutal and Challenging Experience

Deep mechanics

Simple controls

Responsive difficulty, always Hard

Short sessions

A single run takes less than half an hour, but success takes hours of mastery. If it comes at all.

An Uncaring World

Destination Ares is about losing power over time rather than gaining it. It's about the internal struggle instead of the external. There are no aliens or guns; just nonchalant blobs of water named Charlie.

Discover hidden, branching story arcs with several endings, ponder the meaning of existence, panic as another system breaks down, and laugh at a crew that is woefully incompetent.

Lose capability over time. You're no farmboy-turned-hero; play smarter, because you certainly won't get stronger.